The Peabody Awards

Coverage of 2008 Presidential Primary Campaigns and Debates (CNN)

With no incumbent president or vice-president running for the Presidency of the United States in 2008, primary elections took on great significance. The intensity was clear from the earliest days—and nights—as a large group of Republican candidates vied for the nomination. Among Democrats, the race narrowed more quickly to two, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. CNN’s coverage of the primaries provided clear information and careful analysis. Teams of reporters were on the scene of each campaign, traveling with candidates, organizers and supporters. On election nights these reporters kept viewers involved at ground level. The groups of analysts assembled to provide commentary ranged across the political spectrum and, when called on, offered opinion leavened with experience and commitment. Equally important, CNN hosted debates among candidates. Some of the campaign’s most significant moments occurred at events such as the Republican Presidential Candidates Debate at the Reagan Library, the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at the Kodak Theatre and the CNN-Univision Debate. For the breadth and depth of its coverage of the 2008 Presidential Primary Campaigns and Debates, CNN receives a Peabody Award.